Leptactina benguelensis
Family: Rubiaceae
What it is like
A wiry shrubby herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It can be erect and with many branches or form cushions along the ground 30 cm to 2 m across and 1 m high. The stems arise from a thick woody rootstock. The stems can be hairy. The bark peels on old stems. The leaves are long and oval. They are 2-12 cm long. The leaves are stiff and shiny above and with a few hairs underneath. The flowers are tube shaped and white. They have a scent. They are covered with small curved hairs. The fruit are a rounded berry. They are 1-2 cm long. They turn orange to yellow. They have dark brown seeds.
Where it is found
It is a tropical plant. It grows in woodland and on rocky hillsides. It grows between 900-1,400 m above sea level.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Angola, Burundi, Central Africa, Congo DR, East Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The ripe fruit are eaten raw as a snack. The dried leaves are used to add flavour to tea. The flowers are sucked for their sweet nectar.
Edible parts
Fruit, leaves - tea, flowers - nectar
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seeds or by root suckers.
In Tanzania fruit are collected from November to April.
Its other names
Local names
Ididi, Kindokoli, Kitokoli, Mavya-ga-ntumbili, Mfyonefyonze